Mailing-folder.



No. 892,461. PATENTED JULY 7, 1908. R.G. STEVENS.

MAILING FOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 9. 1907.

2 SEEETS-SHEBT l.

No. 892,461. PATENTED JULY '7, 1908. R. G. STEVENS.

MAILING FOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. o, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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PATENTQFFICE.

.' i i. RODERICK G. STEVENS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MAILING-FOLDER.

To all 'whom it may concern?. A

Be it known that I, RODERIOK G. STEVENS, Aa citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Im rovement inMailing-Folders, of whichtfie following is a specification.

A My -invention relates to mailing devices more articularly mailingfolders employed for a vertising purposes or under any circumstanceswherea reply is desired by the sender..

' The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fi ure 1 is a perspective view showing inA full lines the device foldedand in condition ready for mailing by the sender. The dotted linesindicate the leaves partially open. Fig.

`2 is a transverse sectional view of the foldedA devicegthelsectionbeing taken on the line 2 2., Fig.- 1. Fi 3 is a perspective view of theinside'of the 4folder showing the insert in position. Fig. 4 is a faceview of the insert and shows hoW a `single writin of the address servesboth for the going fo der and the returning insert. Fig. 5 is .afragmentary persplective view showing a modification in whic tonguesinstead of a strip are cut from themain leaf for holding the insert inposition.

i The different portions are indicated by similar reference charactersthroughout the views.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the folder consists ofthree leaves, the

mainleaf a, the inner leaf b and the outer leaf c. Although the folderinits best form has three leaves, one on each side of the main leaf, moremight be employed and two is the minimum number. The main leaf has twoslits a', a2, which are preferably arallel and of an extent sufficientto aord t e requisite area for a name and address. As a result of thepresence of the slits a strip a3 is formed in the main leaf.

The insert d is rectangular in outline and hasspaces such'as d", d2, d3,for a name and address (see Fig. 1). By preference these spaces areproperl designated by lines or words or both, as lustrated. Said insertis of ap -roxirnately the same height as the main leaf a and ofapproximately the same length as the slits a', a2. This serves to holdthe insert denitely in place so that the name and address will appear infront of the opening in the main leaf.

speciacation omettere Patent. Application menu-gust 9, i907, serial No.387,891.

Patenteduiy 7, laos.`

A. ummed flap or sticker e is the pre-r ferred means for fastening .theleaves in folded position., Y

Operation: When the folder is open, the insert d is back of t e mainleaf a, Vthen down in front of the strip a3, then behind the lowerportion. of' v the main leaf until the uipper and lower edges of theinsert are even'wit the upper and lower edges of said leaf. Thiespacesd', d2 and da are then visible from the front `lof leaf through theopening therein as shown in Fig. 1. The. leaves b and c arethen foldedup behind the insert and secured in device e. g 4

o illustrate an advantageous use of this device let it be assumed that aI ublisher John Doe & Company wishes to se l a book and wishes to getreplies from possible buyers as to Whether theywould like to see thebook or whether they would like to have a re resentative call. On theinside of one or alljof `the leaves of the folder the publisher willprint reading matter descri tive of the book which he wishes to sell.will employa postal card either with or Without a one cent stampthereon. On the stamp side of this postal card he will put his own nameand address John Doe &'.Com pany, 358 Dearborn St., Chicago, Ills. asshown in Fig. 3. 'On the o posite side of the insert, shown in Fig. 4.,ti print reading matter so worded that he will become cognizant ofthedesires of the prospective buyer without other labor on the ipart ofthe prospective buyer than the placing of a check mark or other suitableindication in one or more -suitably designated spaces on the readingmatter side of the postal card. The ublisher will inthe spaces d2, dwrite in ong hand. or typewriting the name and address of the.prospective buyer for example: Richard Roe, 172 North ave., Denver,Colo. The publisher will then place the insert in the folder in suchposition that his own address comes upon the inside of the folder asshown in Fig. 3 and the address of the prospective buyer 'is visiblethrough the front of the main leaf a as indicated 1n Fig. 1. The leavesare then folded together `and the flap e closed so as to hold the devicefolded but with the ends open. When thus folded and secured the insertis held fast and can not become dislodged except through the breaking ofthe strip a3. As the strip is protected by being bythe fasten-` aninsert d hei e publisher willr put in place by passing 1t alongthe l' onthe inside there is practically no possibility of the se aration' of thetwo parts while in the ma' or in transit from the publisher to thebuyer. When the buyer receives the folder he opens it and first refersto the reading matter and then if he desires to receive a copy of thebook or have a representative call he so indicates upon the ostal cardand mails the card. the publishers address is already upon the card thebuyer is saved the trouble of writing it. Heis also saved the trouble ofwriting his own name and address for it has already beenwritten by thepublisher and has served to direct the folder to the buyer.

It will be seen that a device embodying this invention has greatadvantages; first, the entire folderand insert may be mailed for thecost of one cent postage; second, practically no labor is required ofthe prospective buyer; third, there is no possibility of the purchasersending back the card without his proper and complete name and address;fourth, the folder can be used over' again in case it is returnedwithout bein delivered. These and other advantages wil be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art.

Of course this device may be employed in a great variety of Ways and infact it is applicable to practically any circumstance where a reply isdesired.

Some modifications may be made in the manner ofconstructing the stripc3, for ex- J ample, instead of the strip extending entirely across theaddress opening as in the form of device shown in Figs. l to 4, it mayextend only partially across from each end,

thereby forming tongues f as shown in Fig. 5.

WhatI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: j 4 1. :Amailing folder having leaves one of which is cut for engaging an insertand ex osing a' ortion thereof to view when the fo der is fol ed, thecut'portion of the folder having- ,means ada ted to engage the insert toprevent latera displacement thereof, and the folds of the folder beingat a distance apart slightly greater than the height of the insertwhereby they are adapted to prevent -verti- 'cal displacement of theinsert.

Y 2. .A mailing folder havin a plurality of leaves folded along parallelines transverse to the lateral edges of the folder, one of the leaveshaving a si ht a erture formed therein by making para el s 'ts in saidleaf, which slits are transverse to the lateral edges of said folder andan insert of a height slightly less than the slitted leaf of the folderand adapted to be held from vertical dis lacement by the leavesadjoining the slitted Ileaf, a portion of -said insert lying in front ofthe sight aperture vin said slitted leaf in order to ex ose a portion ofsaid insert and prevent ateral dislacement of the insert relatively tothe older.

seater allel lines transverse to the lateral edges ofthe folder, one `ofthe leaves having a si ht a erture formed therein by making para lel sits in said leaf, which slits are transverse to the lateral edges of thefolder, and an insert of a height slightly less than, but practicallyequal to the height of the leaf which has the sight aperture, saidinsert being engaged by portions of said apertured leaf at the ends ofthe sight aperture therein, whereby lateral displacement of the insertwithin the open-end folder is prevented.

4. An o en-end mailing folder consisting of a main eaf having a stripformed therein, said strip extendin transversely to the lateral edges ofthe folder and being formed by slitting the main leaf, and said mainleafhaving .other leaves integral therewith and sev adapted to fold thereonalong folding lines leaf having a transverse stri formed therein byslitting the main leaf an adapted to engage anvinsert to revent lateraldisplacement thereof and said main leaf having other leaves integraltherewith and adapted tofold thereon along folds transverse to thelateral edges of the folder an insert of substantially the sameheight asthe main leaf adapted to `be folded within the folder adjacent to themain leaf and adapted to have a portion of its surface ex osed 1n frontof said strip; and a Hap located] at one of the edges of one of theleaves for holding the leaves of the folder together, the ends of thefolder therebyI remaining open.

6. A mailing folder folding upon arallel creases whereby the ends of thefo der rel main open when the folder is folded, said folder having amain leaf having cuts therein forming a strip extending substantiallyparallel to said creases, said strip being adapted to pass behind aninsert to thereby prevent movement of said insert lengthwise of saidstri and simultaneously exhibit a portion of sai insert for the purposesdescribed.

In witness whereof, l have hereunto subscribed my name in the presencecf two Witnesses.

.nonnnrcx el. STEVENS..

Witnesses l HOWARD M. Cox, i C. J. Cmrs'rorrnril

